


The Ranger

by AXEe



Category: Original Work
Genre: Archery, F/F, Far Future, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Swordfighting, lost colony
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-14
Updated: 2018-09-16
Packaged: 2018-10-31 12:37:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,677
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10899516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AXEe/pseuds/AXEe
Summary: The far future, the planet of Third Earth.  Five hundred years ago, the colony ship,Oberon, fleeing a dying Earth, arrived at this planet.  Orbital scans revealed no signs of intelligent life or evidence of any significantly large deposits of petroleum or natural gas, but large amounts of iron ore and thousands of trees covering its single, massive continent.Detecting an unusual energy signature, the Oberon moved in to investigate, but as soon as they did, the ship's engines overloaded, sending the ship crashing to the planet's surface.  Emerging from the wreck, the survivors discovered that the energy field they detected from orbit had a disastrous effect on their technology, rending it useless.With no way to get back into orbit, the survivors realized that this was their new home now, and with no petroleum or natural gas deposits, their descendants would never advance beyond a Late-Iron Age society in terms of technology, resulting in a world populated by a Middle Age-level society.Now, five hundred years later, one of the fabled 'Ancestors' has returned to Third Earth...





	1. Prolouge: Laying Down Roots

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! More original work from me! Enjoy! :=)

******

**Wreck of the _Oberon_**  
**Three days after crash**

"Ma'am?" Captain Mary Eastbrook looked up at the young officer, she sighed

"Nothing?" she asked

He shook his head

"No, ma'am, the engines will not only won't work, but they're leaking drive radiation," he explained "we can't stay here any longer, ma'am" he proclaimed

"And the passengers?" she asked

"With the stasis pods down, most of them have already woken up" he explained

Mary frowned

"There are no petroleum or natural gas deposits on this planet, right?" she asked, he nodded "which means that we'll be stuck using bows and arrows to hunt" she grumbled

He shrugged

"I guess so" he shrugged again "never really knew much about that"

"Are any of the wakers anthropologists?"

"So far, one ma'am, a Dr. Danvers"

"Get him over here" the officer left and returned a few minutes later with a young brunette

"Dr. Danvers?" Mary asked, the woman nodded "what kind of descendants are we looking at here?" Mary asked "without oil or natural gas"

"Well," Dr. Danvers began "we're probably looking at a Medieval-level society, they'd probably use bows and arrows and most likely swords, their governments might, _might_ , develop along similar lines as well"

"So kings and queens," Mary reasoned, the doctor nodded "and they'd probably also develop witch-hunts, inquisitions, knights and nobility?"

"Most likely," Dr. Danvers shrugged "keep in mind, Captain, this is all supposition, we don't really know"

Mary sighed

"Is there any way we could...direct their development?" she wondered "make them avoid a certain type of society?"

Dr. Danvers let out a breath

"I suppose...we could transcribe our knowledge down onto paper, set up a series of rules and laws, but," she frowned, clearly uncomfortable "that would mean that we'd have to basically portray ourselves as, well...gods, or at the very least wise, all-knowing ancestors"

"Godhood doesn't sound too appealing" Mary noted with a grimace

"No, but, they're most likely to interrupt us as gods," Dr. Danvers explained "especially since they probably wouldn't have our scientific knowledge"

"Could we give it to them?" the young officer spoke up, he shrugged "I mean, if we're talking about writing a version of the Ten Commandments, why can't we write down our knowledge of Earth?" he suggested

"We could do that," Dr. Danvers nodded "if we keep teaching our descendants about Earth, about space travel, they might be able to avoid seeing us as gods"

Mary slowly nodded

"Well then...we better get started" she proclaimed...


	2. The Woman in the Green Cloak

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Double update!

******

**Outskirts of the Queendom of Abilon**  
**Year 550**

Dr, Willow Green grunted as she struggled to undo her safely harness, the shuttle was burning around her, she needed to get out _now_.

Kicking and wriggling she managed to finally tear free from the restraints, grabbing a piece of the wreckage she smashed her way through the viewport, desperately crawling out across the shards of broken transparasteel and collapsing onto the ground panting for breath.

Weakly sitting up, she saw the scattered and charred remains of the rest of her five-person team. A chill ran through her as she realized that she was all that remained. She glanced back at the shuttle, and cringing, she held her breath and braved the flames, managing to retrieve the emergency med-kit and a signal beacon before charging back out just seconds as the shuttle exploded, the shockwave knocking her to the ground.

Looking back over her shoulder she saw that the shuttle’s engine compartment—which had broken off the main body of the shuttle in the crash—had exploded, but the main body of the shuttle remained relatively intact.

Groaning, she staggered to her feet and took in her surroundings, she was in a heavily forested area, which this planet’s single continent seemed to be covered with, appearing to have the largest concentration of trees a Colonial Expedition had ever discovered on an Earth-like exo-planet, the trees were tall and ancient looking, resembling redwoods in appearance.

She looked down at the signal beacon in her hand, dead, just like the shuttle had been as soon as they entered the atmosphere, something about this planet rendered all modern technology—even that which had been hardened against EM shocks—useless

And yet they found life signs from orbit that indicated that this world was inhabited by humans. How had they survived Willow wondered? They were obviously the survivors of a previous expedition; many of the colony ships fleeing Earth had been lost, so obviously one had washed up here, but when? And how long had they been here? Did they even know that this wasn’t their actual home? That they were a lost colony of Earth?

A loud _snap_ broke Willow out of her thoughts, tensing she watched as three figures emerged from the trees. Three men, all dressed in simple, homespun clothing, one held a spear, the other a bow and arrows, and the third a long, heavy staff.

Willow tensed; there was something about the way they were looking at her that made her instincts gabber wildly

“Hello” she tried, the men smirked

“Hello,” one greeted in perfect English, his smile unnerving “we saw the smoke,” he explained “wanted to see if anyone was hurt” he added, Willow found herself backing away from him, only to freeze as his two friends blocked her path.

The leader smirked at her, an unnerving expression

“Never seen a woman in a starfall before,” he commented with a leer “pretty one too” he added, Willow gasped as his two thugs suddenly grabbed her arms, holding her in place despite her kicks and struggles. Fear suddenly shot through her, she knew what these men would do to her, what they wanted. As the leader’s hand cupped her cheek, she cringed and closed her eyes, sending a silent prayer to whatever god that was listening that she could escape this.

A sharp whistle suddenly pierced the air, Willow jerked open her eyes at a grunt from one of the goons, who fell back with a groan, an arrow now firmly embedded in his chest

“Ranger!” the leader hissed, just as another arrow whistled through the air, piecing the second goon holding Willow in the leg. A figure in a long green cloak and hood suddenly burst out of the underbrush, a longbow and arrow at the ready.

Taking aim, they let loose the arrow, it whistled through the air, slicing across the lead goon’s face before piercing a tree.

The leader readied his own bow, but the cloaked figured swiftly disappeared into the brush again

“Come out!” the leader roared, holding his bow at the ready “I never killed a Ranger before,” he taunted, he turned at a rustling, letting loose the arrow into the rustling bushes.

Sneering he readied a second arrow just as another set of bushes rustled, letting loose the arrow again only to hit nothing of importance

With a angry roar, he readied a third arrow

“WHERE ARE YOU?!?!?” he screamed

Willow gasped as the cloaked figure suddenly slid up from the underbrush right behind the thug, grabbing him from behind and pressing a short knife to his throat. With a whimper he dropped his bow and actually sank to his knees, blubbering and pleading for the mysterious figure not to kill him, pleading to ‘the ancestors’ for forgiveness.

With a clear air of disgust the figure swiftly withdrew a pair of manacles from their belt and swiftly shackled the man’s hands together before approaching Willow, who had hunkered down against a tree as soon as the arrows started flying.

The figure studied her from beneath the heavy hood, which left only part of their jaw line visible. Slowly they reached up and drew back the hood, reveling a woman’s features. Shaking out her long curly dark hair, the woman studied Willow for a moment, smirking, her brown eyes twinkling as she leaned against her longbow

“Generally it is known that Dark Wood is a haven for thieves and murders,” she commented “but,” she smirked “I would doubt one of the Star Travelers to be aware of such things”

“Star travelers,” Willow stammered out “you, you know about space travel?” she asked

“As we all do,” the woman nodded “such things are taught to us early, so that we may know our ancestry and lineage,” she explained, she bowed slightly “I am Thorn Arrowwood, of Clan Arrowwood,” she introduced herself “and you are?”

“Oh, uh, Willow, Willow Green,” Willow stammered out, she looked the other woman up and down “ _what._ are you?” she finally asked

“I am a Ranger;” the woman, Thorn, answered “we are the lawgivers for this land, acting by laws set down by the Ancestors themselves over five hundred and fifty years ago, we enforce the laws and track down those who violate them and bring them to justice”

“So, so, you’re, you’re like police?” Willow stammered out

Thorn frowned, then nodded

“Yes, that is one term for our order” she answered

“Wait,” Willow panted out “you said, ‘five hundred’,” she shook her head “you mean that you, you’re people, have been here for _five hundred years?_ ” she demanded in awe, Thorn nodded

“The Children of Earth have been sailing the stars for far longer than that,” she pointed out, she smirked and held out a hand “come, the sun is setting, the Wood is far more treacherous in darkness”

Still shaking, Willow allowed the mysterious woman to pull her upright…


	3. The Wisdom of the Ancestors

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're back! Yes dear readers, my original work "The Ranger" is _**FINALLY**_ being updated! Hooray! Please enjoy :=)

******

Willow watched as Thorn easily slung the body of the man she’d killed onto the back of her mount, a tall, horse-sized beast that resembled a large bird which Thorn had called a ‘Droxie’, named so, she said, because of the sound the creatures made. A strange animal for sure, but not unusual on an alien planet.

As the two surviving criminals were tethered to the saddle by their manacles with a long cord of rope, Willow observed her mysterious savior. Standing at five feet even, Thorn Arrrowwood didn’t look all that intimidating, with her head of long, dark curly hair and rounded face, she actually reminded Willow of a teacher she had a crush on back on New Earth, a sweet, quiet, mousy woman.

But that teacher probably couldn’t shoot an arrow like Thorn had, she noted with a smirk, suddenly realizing that she was Thorn’s polar opposite, while Thorn was petite and light olive-skin, Willow was tall—just under six feet—with fair, almost pale skin, her hair was a fair blonde, straight, and cut short, while Thorn’s was long and curly dark. Willow started as Thorn suddenly looked her way, frowning

“Do you find me attractive?” she asked point-blank

“I, uh…what?” Willow blinked

“Do you find me attractive?” Thorn repeated calmly

“Uh…” Willow froze, wondering what her answer should be, should she answer yes? But that might be considered an insult in this society, this woman could be married for she knew and might be socially obligated to actually _kill_ Willow for staring. Finally she swallowed and nodded

“Yes” she mumbled

Thorn nodded in return, smiling, revealing a pretty set of dimples

“Good. You were honest. We Folk of the East desire that our guests speak plainly and honestly,” she explained as she tugged on the animal’s reins “come, we must be swift,” she instructed “daylight does not last long in winter…”

******

The resulting walk only lasted an hour, perhaps less, but by the time a clearly manmade structure began to loom in the distance, the sun had already sank low in the sky, turning the sky a brilliant, burning orange. Looking up, Willow could see the barest hints of two moons peeking through the sky. Turning her attention back to the road she took a breath as a massive stone wall suddenly loomed above them, dotted with parapets and what looked like watchtowers, and carved out of what looked like granite, it made for an imposing sight.

Stopping them at the barred gate with a raised hand, Thorn put two fingers in her mouth and whistled sharply, the high-pitched sound making Willow wince. Atop the tower flanking one side of the gate, a fire flared to life, a mirror or something similar being held over it to act as a spotlight of sorts, the shaft of light suddenly shining down on the two women and the captured men

“WHO GOES THERE?!” a voice boomed out from the tower

“A RANGER AND HER QUARY!” Thorn called back, her voice holding a surprising amount of power despite her diminutive stature “OPEN THE GATE!” she added

There was a pause before an inaudible command was heard and the gate creaked open, several figures atop more Droxies marching out. One, presumably the leader, raised a hand, signaling the precession to a stop. Dismounting, she approached Thorn

“Above the sun, Ranger,” she greeted “I am Captain Greenleaf of Clan Greenleaf” she introduced herself

“Above the sun, Captain,” Thorn replied with a polite nod “three criminals found in the Dark Woods,” she explained, gesturing to the three criminals “and,” she gestured to Willow “an innocent they attempted to assault”

“I see,” Captain Greenleaf nodded as she gestured for her troops to take charge of the criminals “and the deceased?” she asked, gesturing to the dead body as her troops unloaded the corpse from the Droxie

“A regrettable, but necessary, death” Thorn explained

Captain Greenleaf nodded, seemingly satisfied with the answer

“Come,” she invited “we can provide you and your guest with lodgings for the night” she explained as the grouped entered the fortress…

******

Inside, Willow found that there was an entire community within the stone walls, this was no ragtag group of survivors eking out a living, no, this was a vibrant, thriving society and culture. The area was dominated by what looked like a clock tower which appeared to measure the movements of the sun and moons as well as the hours of the day (a vital necessity for any agrarian society without modern harvesting technology she realized), Next to the clock tower appeared to be a temple or some other place of worship, while various two-story buildings—presumably homes and places of business—were dotted about the area.

The air was filled with a sweet-smelling smoke as fire pits were lit and people milled about, many stopping and gasping excitedly as the group passed, murmuring amongst themselves.

“It’s a Ranger!”

“I’ve never seen one in person”

“Is she really a Ranger, Mother?” 

Willow blinked, glancing over at Thorn

“You, uh, seem to be quite the celebrity” she noted

Thorn smirked

“Rangers spend their time in the wilds,” she explained “it is rare that we return to the comforts of hearth and home”

“I don’t understand, what do you mean?” Willow asked

“Where have you been, the Islands?” one of Captain Greenleaf’s men scoffed “everyone knows Rangers go and live in the wilds, that’s what they do, give up all titles and claims and go live like the Freefolk”

“Solider!” Captain Greenleaf barked “show respect” she ordered

“Yes, Captain” the solider snapped out as the group reached what seemed to be the center of the village

“If you require anything, please do not hesitate to ask” Captain Greenleaf offered

“Thank you,” Thorn nodded as she lightly tapped Willow on the arm “come, we can find lodgings there” she gestured to a medium-sized building whose windows were lit with a warm orange glow, what appeared to an inn of some sort, although Willow couldn’t decipher the strange symbols on the sign, it appeared that these people, despite speaking English, had developed their own alphabet separate and distinct from anything else that Humanity used.

The inn was crowded, people from seemingly all walks of life chatted and milled about, drinking and laughing, a band of some sort playing a lively tune in a corner as a fire pit crackled invitingly in the center of the room, filling the room with an invitingly warmth and a comforting glow.

Approaching the bar, Thorn rapped on its surface with one hand

“Innkeeper!” she called out above the din. The innkeeper—a rather portly fellow with a thick, bushy bread—came over, self-consciously straightening his apron as he did

“You’ll have to check your weapons,” he stated “no blades, no bows. House rules”

In reply, Thorn placed her longbow and quiver down on the bar. Reaching behind her back, she withdrew a short knife and placed that on the bar as well before reaching into her boot and withdrawing a dagger and adding that to the collection, before un-strapping her belt and removing the short sword at her hip and adding that as well.

Seemingly satisfied, the innkeeper gathered the collection and placed it under the bar before writing something down a slip of paper or parchment and handing it to Thorn, who nodded in silent thanks

“We require a room and food” she explained

“Only one left,” the innkeeper explained “single bed”

“That’ll be fine” Willow nodded as the innkeeper withdrew what looked like a stack of papers and a quill and wrote something down

“Did you come on foot or by droxie?” he asked

“By droxie” Thorn answered

“There’s an extra charge for lodging your animal,” he explained as he made a mark on the paper “thirty Marks”

Thorn reached into her vest and withdrew a small pouch and dug through it, dropping a series of small strips of wood onto the bar. The innkeeper counted them and then nodded

“Drinks on the house,” he said as he filled two large mugs with something and set them down “your food’ll be ready in a minute” he explained as he turned to leave. Now alone at the bar, Willow puzzled over the strips of wood that Thorn was putting away

“Can I…?” she asked

“Of course” Thorn happily handed her one of the pieces of wood. Examining it, Willow found that it had clearly been cut and polished to the appropriate size and shape, a series of horizontal lines had been very carefully etched into its surface, clearly meant to denote a value.

“You use currency-based economics?” she asked

“Yes,” Thorn answered “it’s a fiat currency, only having value because our government says so,” she explained, gesturing to the slip of wood “a ‘slip’—which you are holding—are divided into denominations of five, ten, and twenty. One hundred _slips_ are equal to one _strip_ which also divided into fives, tens, and twenty, and one strip is equal to one _bar_ which has one denomination of one hundred,” she smiled “I take it that you use a different type of economic system?” she asked

“Credit-based economy,” Willow nodded “no physical money”

“Ah, I see” Thorn nodded as a shadow suddenly fell over them. Looking up, both women frowned at the obviously drunk man now looming over them

“Yes?” Willow asked as the man grinned

“You’re a Ranger” he slurred out, leering at Thorn

“Well observed,” Thorn drawled “what of it?”

“Rumor has it that you took down the Wells boys today” the man remarked

“Yes, and?” Thorn asked

The man scoffed, reaching out and giving her a little shove

“Hard to believe a little tick like you could do that”

Thorn smirked

“Sir, I assure you, I could beat you senseless with my mug,” she remarked

The man chuckled and reached for her again. In a lightning quick movement, Thorn surged to her feet, smashing the mug into his face, before grabbing his arm, twisting it at an unnatural angle and then slamming him face first into the bar top, where he slowly slid to the floor with a pained groan

Taking note of the sudden silence, Thorn smirked as she held her mug aloft

“The trick is not to beat him with your drink, but not to spill any when you do it,” she quipped, which earned a hearty laugh from the crowd as she crouched down next to the ruffian “I am well within my rights to arrest you for striking a lawgiver,” she stated “but, this time, I won’t,” straightening up she sat back down, giving Willow a critical eye “are you well?” she asked

“Yeah” Willow nodded shakily, both terrified and awed by the ease with which Thorn had pummeled the thug as the innkeeper came over and presented two steaming plates of food, handing a small handful of strips to Thorn

“It’s free of charge,” he explained “as thanks for dealing with him” he nodded towards the ruffian who was being helped out the door by two other men

“Thank you” Thorn nodded as she sat down

“What…am I eating here?” Willow wondered, eyeing the plate with a suspicious gaze

“Honker,” Thorn answered “a type of game bird,” she explained as she picked up the utensils—a pair of chopstick-like implements—and began eating “it’s quite safe I assure you” she added as Willow continued staring at it before finally picking up the utensils and, after fumbling with them for a few seconds, picked up a piece of the meat, finding that it flaked off the bone like fish. Popping it into her mouth she was pleasantly surprised at the mild smoky flavor…

******

After finishing their meals the two women were led upstairs to a small, but cozy-looking, room. The furnishings were simple, a small, but comfy-looking bed sat in one corner alongside a small table and two chairs, while a small fireplace crackled away, warming the small space

“The washroom is through that door,” the innkeeper explained, nodding towards a small door in the corner “if you need anything just ring” he gestured to what was clearly a pull cord hanging from a hole in the wall by the bed before quietly slipping out the door, shutting it behind him

“You may wash first if you wish” Thorn said as she sat down on the bed, absently unfastening her green cloak as she did and slipping off her boots, turning them over to examine the soles while Willow cautiously entered the ‘washroom’ finding what was clearly intended as a bathtub, sink, and toilet, and she was left to wonder how they managed without modern plumbing technology until she recalled the Roman aqueducts, and theorized if this planet had a similar system.

Deciding to ignore it for now, she puzzled over the workings, finding a kettle hanging over the ‘tub’. Filling it from the ‘sink’ she came back out into the main room

“Uh…how do I…?” she held up the kettle, totally at a loss

“The hook over the fire” Thorn pointed towards the fireplace. Nodding in understanding, Willow hung the kettle over the over fire and frowned at the bed

“So, uh…who gets the floor?” she asked

Thorn smirked

“We can share,” she stated “there is no shame in doing so, the Ancestors taught us so”

Willow nodded in silent understanding, a medieval-level society with modern sensibilities

“So, tell me more about being a ‘ranger’,” she asked as she joined Thorn on the bed “what did that soldier mean when he said that you live in the wild?”

Thorn chuckled

“He was exaggerating, but yes, a Ranger, unlike other lawgivers, do not have a set ‘jurisdiction’ as you might understand it,” she began “instead we roam the land, finding and apprehending criminals as well keeping the peace. We’re similar to a monastic order; we give up almost all worldly possessions, any claims or titles, and give ourselves to the service of the land as a whole”

“Sounds like a lonely life” Willow remarked

Thorn shrugged

“It can be,” she acknowledged “but not entirely, we’re free to visit family whenever we wish as long as it doesn’t conflict with our duties, and even marry if we so desire”

“And the ‘ancestors’?” Willow asked “I’m assuming that they’re actually your ancestors?”

“Yes,” Thorn nodded “upon arriving here they set forth a series of laws and guidelines to attempt to guide our development”

“Guide your development? Why?”

“They feared that with the lack of star fairing technology any society we would develop might regress into one of superstition and religious oppression,” Thorn explained “much as the people Europe on Old Earth did once Rome fell,” she shook her head “there are some who venerate the ancestors as wise, all-knowing, god-like beings, but they were not, they were people, just like you and I”

“Wow,” Willow shook her head “I just…when those men came across me in the forest, I guess…”

“You were expecting a world of backwards savages who would see you some kind of demonic monster?” Thorn chuckled “exactly what our ancestors feared, which is why they prepared very detailed accounts of our history, our lineage, even the workings of star fairing technology, all to teach us, to ensure that we would not fall into an age of superstition and fear,” she smirked “I could even tell you how to assemble a flash-warp drive if so inclined,” she nodded towards the fire “your water is ready”

“Huh?” Willow blinked “oh!” she quickly got up and grabbed the kettle, wincing slightly as the steam stung her hands

“By the way,” Thorn called out as the anthropologist entered the washroom “I would not mention your status as star traveler to others” she advised

“Why not?” Willow wondered

“As I said, there are those who see the ancestors as wise, god-like beings,” Thorn explained “and those who would abuse the gullibility of others for their ends”

Willow froze, paling at the thought of the old televangelists from Old Earth, shuddering at the thought if one of them had found so-called ‘proof’ of the divine

“Right” she muttered…


	4. First Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter FOUR! Enjoy folks :=)

******

After bathing, Willow managed to clean her undershirt and shorts, leaving the beige jumpsuit to dry, making a mental note to find some more appropriate clothing in the morning, the less she stood out the better.

Exiting the washroom she found the room lit only by a lone candle on the bedside table, Thorn apparently already asleep as the fire had been extinguished. Tiptoeing over to the bed, Willow carefully slipped under the homespun, but soft, covers

“Good night” Thorn said

Willow startled then relaxed, chuckling

“Good night” she replied as Thorn blew out the candle, plunging the room into darkness

******

_Fire was all around Willow. The shuttle was burning. She had to get out. She needed to get out_

_“Willow” a hand suddenly seized her arm. Turning, she recoiled at the sight of the charred form of young Dr. Brooks. Her once-lovely face now charred and blackened, split open on one side, revealing the blackened bone beneath_

_“You left me,” the corpse accused “why did you leave me to die?” its grip on Willow’s arm tightened “why?!” it demanded_

_“I didn’t,” Willow shook her head “you died in the crash. You all did,”_

_“YOU LEFT US!!!” Dr. Brooks accused_

_“No…I didn’t…I tried…I tried!!” Willow pleaded_

_More figures began to emerge from the smoke, each more disfigured than the last, the remains of her team, shuffling towards her, hands reaching for her as they moaned and cried out in pain from their burns, even as they continued to reach for her, burning her everywhere they touched her…_

“Willow! Willow! Wake up!”

Gasping, Willow surged upright, hands clawing at her throat as a light suddenly flared in the darkness, a candle being brought near her face

“Breathe!” Thorn ordered

Panting harshly, Willow sucked in a ragged breath, slowly exhaling as Thorn reached over and lit a large candle on the bedside table, giving the dark room some illumination

“Just breathe,” Thorn soothed “here,” she slowly wrapped her arms around Willow and held her close “just breathe” she whispered

“I…didn’t even… _try_ to save them” Willow finally stammered out

“Your comrades?” Thorn asked

Willow nodded

“Willow,” Thorn began “I saw the crash, there were no other survivors. And if there were, they did not live for long. There was nothing you could’ve done. You are not to blame for their deaths. No one is”

Willow nodded shakily, seeing Thorn’s logic even if she didn’t quite believe it herself.

Both women startled as a bell suddenly rang out franticly in the gloom, lights suddenly shining through the room’s lone window

“What’s that?” Willow asked as Thorn got up and peered through the window as the bell rang out again

“ _THE PRISONERS HAVE ESCAPED!!_ ” a voice called out in the distance “ _SEAL THE GATES! THE PRISONERS HAVE ESCAPED!!_ ”

Thorn turned to Willow, her face grim

“Get dressed” she ordered…

******

The two women hurried down the stairs, passing other confused guests of the inn as they did

“Innkeeper!” Thorn bellowed “innkeeper!”

The innkeeper appeared at the bottom of the stairs, his hair and bread wild, his eyes equally so, his arms loaded with Thorn’s weapons

“Here!” he frantically handed them to Thorn who easily slipped them all on with a practiced skill as she slung her green cloak on

“Willow?” Thorn called, causing the other woman to turn “there is no shame in hiding” she stated

Willow frowned, looking around the other people gathered around the stairs and then back to the Ranger

“If it’s all the same, I’d rather stay with you” she admitted

Thorn removed the small dagger from her boot and held it out to Willow

“Remember,” she warned “this dagger represents the difference between life and death. Do not lose it”

“Right” Willow nodded as she took the dagger and kept tight hold of it

“All right,” Thorn nodded “let’s go”

******

The two women charged out into the cold night air. The village lit only by what looked like streetlamps and the lantern that Thorn held in one hand. Pausing to get her bearings she looked left and right before nodding

“This way,” she ordered, charging down the street “stay close,” she added as Willow struggled to keep up, her longer legs being no match for the swifter Ranger, who easily darted in and out of the narrow, winding streets as the bell continued clanging the same voice urged people to remain indoors, as all around Willow she could hear what sounded liked doors and windows being shut and bolted.

“Willow!” Thorn hissed from up ahead “stay close!” she hissed as they reached the main square or plaza. Skidding to a stop, Thorn turned to Willow and thrust the lantern towards her

“Hold this,” she ordered, and before Willow could react, easily scaled the side of a building before easily sprinting across its rooftop and then jumping to another building and then easily jumping down the two stories to the ground a few feet away

“Willow! Over here!” she called

Spotting the splash of green from her cloak, Willow hurried over, finding Thorn crouched over a prone figure who Willow recognized with a start as Captain Greenleaf. The other woman lay propped up against a doorframe, one hand held to her side and even in the dim light of the lantern Willow could see the blood staining her shirt.

“Captain, what happened?” Willow asked

Captain Greenleaf hissed in clear pain as she answered

“The prisoners, we were transferring them to a cell for the night,” she began, wincing “one of them…he…he ambushed two of my men,” she explained “they stole their swords and managed to fight they way out of the jail. They stole a pair of droxies and headed for the west gate”

Willow looked up at Thorn

“Maybe they closed the gate in the time” she suggested

“No,” Thorn shook her head “if they stole a pair of droxies then they could have easily scaled the wall as easily as you or I walk through a door”

“Wait, they can climb?” Willow asked

Thorn nodded

“As steep of an angle as nine degrees” she answered as Captain Greenleaf suddenly gripped Willow’s arm tightly

“You…have to find them,” she panted out “they’ll…kill again…they…must…be…” with pained groan she released Willow’s arm, slumping against the wall as her breathing stopped

Sighing sadly, Thorn gently reached out and closed the Captain’s eyes

“Rest now, Captain” she murmured…

******

A search conducted by village’s militia only proved what Thorn had already said, the prisoners were gone, and despite the instance of some of the villagers, Thorn and the militia had refused to search in the darkness, especially since heavy clouds had rolled in at some point during the night and obscured the two moons.

At first light a search party was swiftly organized and a briefing was already in progress in the square as Willow found a tailor and quickly secured new attire that was more in tune with what the locals wore.

Emerging from the tailor’s shop in a pair of loose pants, sturdy leather boots, and a loose linen shirt with short traveling cloak, she found Thorn standing off to the side as a member of the late Captain Greenleaf’s troops issued orders to his men from atop his droxie

“What’s going on?” Willow wondered as she joined Thorn

The Ranger merely pursed her lips as she leaned against her longbow and looked Willow up and down

“Much better,” she declared “you’ll fit in more dressed like that”

“Glad it meets your approval,” Willow muttered as she nodded towards the group of soldiers “so what’s going on?” she repeated

“Captain Greenleaf’s replacement is organizing a search party” Thorn explained

“You don’t sound too happy about that” Willow noted

“I’ve seen these kind of searches before,” Thorn nodded “they’re better suited to finding lost children than wanted criminals,” she explained “they’ll ride off into the forest making such a calamitous ruckus that their quarry will hear them coming for miles”

Willow nodded in silent understanding

“Why don’t you help them?” she wondered

“I was denied from joining the search,” Thorn explained “apparently, seeing as how it was I who brought them here only for them to escape means that I must be not a very effective hunter. The fact that Captain Greenleaf died trying to stop them only serves to worsen my reputation”

“Idiots” Willow muttered 

“Perhaps,” Thorn acknowledged with a shrug “but regardless they’ve barred me from joining in the search”

“Officially” Willow noted

Thorn smirked

“Yes,” she nodded “officially,” she agreed with a wink as the troops let out a collective shout before they charged out the gate in a surge of man and beast to the cheers of townsfolk.

Now largely ignored by the still-cheering villagers, Thorn turned to Willow

“Normally, I’d ask that you remain here,” she began “but something tells me that you won’t”

“No” Willow agreed

“It will not be an easy task,” Thorn warned “nor a safe one”

“You saved my life,” Willow explained “the least I can do is help you catch these guys”

Thorn frowned, studying her, before nodding slowly

“You’ll need a weapon” she stated…


	5. The Hunt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're back! Chapter FIVE of "The Ranger"! Enjoy! :=)

******

The forge was hot, sweltering to be honest, and Willow was already sweating before she was even in the doorway. Seemingly unconcerned with the heat, Thorn held a hand to her eyes, wincing at the brightness of the sparks as the blacksmiths’ hammers rhythmically rang out without end

Thorn suddenly whistled sharply

“Blacksmith!” she called out

One of the smiths stopped and looked up; lifting what appeared to be a medieval equivalent to a welders mask as they did so, revealing an alien, insectoid face

“ _How can we be of assistance?_ ” it asked in a buzzing, multi-tonal voice as it came over, revealing its humanoid, yet distinctly alien, form

“My companion requires a weapon” Thorn explained

“ _Of course,_ ” the alien nodded “ _please, select your weapon_ ”

“I don’t have much experience with weapons,” Willow explained, somewhat startled to see an alien here on this world “actually, I have _zero_ experience with weapons” she admitted

“Then we shall start small” Thorn advised

The alien nodded

“Excuse me,” Willow addressed the alien “but…you’re Tax’illzy, aren’t you?”

“ _Yes, we are of the Cooperative,_ ” the alien replied “ _our hive ship fell to this world two generations ago_ ”

“And you couldn’t escape” Willow reasoned

“ _No_ ” the alien replied

“There are many other non-human species here on Third Earth,” Thorn explained “the Tax’illzy are but one of many. Now,” she gestured to the ranks of weapons—swords, axes, spears—all adorning the walls of the forge “…about your weapon”

“I wouldn’t know where to begin” Willow admitted, feeling horribly lost

“Then we shall start small” Thorn proclaimed…

******

In short order Willow was soon armed with a short sword, it was about as long as her thigh and came with a sheath that fastened flush to her thigh. Tucking her traveling cloak over her shoulder hoping to hide the weapon, she glanced over at Thorn as the other woman mounted her droxie. Frowning, Willow gave the large avian-like creature a leery look as its bright yellow eyes stared at her intensely, almost suspiciously, as it clacked its beak, the talons on its forelimbs curling and uncurling.

In appearance, the animal reminded Willow almost of a giant peacock, having the metallic, iridescent blue-green plumage of a peacock and even a long, fan-like tail. But there the similarities ended. Its head resembled that of a bird of prey, like hawk or an eagle, with a sharp-looking beak and highly-intelligent, forward-facing eyes, and its forelimbs resembled arms, even having three claw-tipped digits on each limb, and Willow could easily imagine the animal using those digits to grab hold of some unfortunate creature before its beak tore it open.

From atop the animal’s back, Thorn smirked

“She won’t bite,” she assured Willow, giving the droxie’s flank a pat “Kyra here is quite harmless,” she explained, rubbing the animal’s flank affectionately “aren’t you my dear?” she cooed.

Willow chuckled uneasily before she held out a hand and allowed Thorn to pull her up, awkwardly climbing up behind her into the saddle. Checking to see that Willow was secure, Thorn smirked and then gave the reigns a flick, and, with a yipping cry that did indeed sound like ‘drox=ie’, the animal loped out the gate…

******

In a matter of moments they’d reached the forest boundary. Pulling the droxie to a stop, Thorn looked back at Willow

“All right?” she asked

Willow grimaced, swallowing down a bout of nausea as the rocking motion of the saddle finally stopped

“Never better” she hiccupped

Thorn chuckled as she turned back ahead of them

“Do you see the straps by my knees?” she asked

Frowning, Willow looked down, seeing two looped straps hanging from the saddle by Thorn’s knees, one on each side of the saddle

“Yeah, I see them” Willow nodded

“Loop your hands through them and hold on tightly” Thorn instructed

“O…K,” frowning, Willow leaned forward and gripped the straps, having to practically lay on top of Thorn to do so “now what?” she asked

“Hold on” Thorn instructed, giving the reigns a little flick. With another yip, the droxie took off, charging straight for a large tree. Suddenly, it leapt into the air, its ‘hands’ uncurling to grip the trunk, while the talons on its feet did the same, and then, the creature began to scurry up the tree as easily as it had on level ground, reaching the canopy in a matter of moments.

Letting out a slow breath as the droxie stopped, Willow felt her jaw drop as she took in the wide canopy, the branches of different trees twisting and tangling together to form a network of road-like structures, and Willow suddenly wonder if the droxie—rather than roaming wide open grasslands as she initially thought—actually instead lived up here in the canopy.

“Incredible, isn’t it?” Thorn asked, looking back to smirk at her

“Yeah…” Willow nodded, at a loss for words

“We should hurry,” Thorn advised “the trail grows cold with each second,” she warned as she patted Kyra’s flank again “Kyra, seek,” she ordered. Sniffing, the droxie lowered its head to the ‘ground’, beak clacking as it sniffed, before suddenly lifting its head and letting out an eager-sounding yip.

Thorn grinned

“Found you” she hissed as she spurned Krya on…


End file.
